Traditionally, computer systems have used the red, green, blue (RGB) format for specifying and manipulating color in color graphics systems. Basically, the data consists of three components which indicate the value of energy for the red, green, and blue electron guns on a color monitor. The actual colors generated in response to a given value stored in a computer vary from monitor to monitor. Thus, RGB data is inherently ambiguous.
The basis for this data structure arose out of convenience for generating the necessary data for video monitors. However, people typically do not think in RGB color. For instance, it is not intuitive that a light blue color consists of 50% red, 50% green, and 100% blue.
Further complexities are introduced by the fact that some color graphics systems may require other color data structures. For instance, a color data structure known as CMYK, for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, has been used to characterize the colors on many types of printers. Therefore, computer users were required to understand and use the CMYK along with the RGB formats for specifying color. This results often in colors being displayed on a monitor in the RGB format not matching the colors actually printed in the CMYK format, and vice versa.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a color graphics system for processing color information which provides greater flexibility to computer users.